Train-control apparatus



T. W. SCOTT.-

TRAIN CONTROL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1917. azugwgn JUNE 25,1920.

1 ,36 1 ,4; 1 O, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

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61 Hon/mayo UNITED STATESAPATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS W. SCOTT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TRAIN CONTROL COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAN D, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAN'D.

TRAIN-CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1920.

Application filed March 15, 1917, Serial No. 154,992. Renewed June 26, 1920. Serial No. 392,043.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. Soon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Control Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in train control apparatus and more particularly has to do with an improved arrangement of circuits for effecting an operation of the cab signals and the automatic stop device,the two'devices being arranged to operate in conjunction with and through the operation of oneor another of two contact shoes when either of the latter engage a ram rail.

l y present invention is designed to utilize a single ramp rail in a block to eflect an operation of both the signal and stop mechanisms and provides an improved arrangement of devices and circuits whereby the stop valve devices are controlled by the signal control devices so that the. signal and stop mechanisms are inseparably related.

I also provide two contact shoes on the vehicle,one at each side thereof and I mechanically connect each shoe with a switch device so that the circuits controlling both the signal and stop devices will be opened or closed, as the case may be, when either of said shoes and the switch or switches operated thereby is or are actuated. f

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the devices and circuits are shown diagrammatically in a single view.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 1, designates a signal control relay; '2, the stopvalve magnet; 3,4 and 5, the green yellow and red light-signals; 6 and 7 the two contact shoes and 8, the vehicle current supply or battery. Allof'these parts are carried on the vehicle together with certain wire connections for maintaining them through electric circuits which will presently be explained.

In rail road operations it is not always possible to locate all the ramp rails, which are utilized to actuate the contact shoes, on the same side of the track-way. In fact, it frequently happens that it is desirable to loeats a ramp at a particular place but conditions on the one side of the track are such 7 i as to make it impractical to place the ramp opposite.

there, but the same can be placed directly On account of such conditions I have found, in actual practice, that it is much better to provide two contact shoes on the vehicle,one at eachside thereof so that the ramp rails may be located on either side of the track as desired. I also provide two shoe switches 9 and 10, respectively for the shoe 6, and two shoe switches 11 and 12, for the shoe 7.

These shoe-switches are mechanically connected to the shoes and two of them are operated at a time upon the movement of a shoe during its travel onto and from a ramp rail,it being understood, however, that at no time, in the operation of my invention,

will both shoes be actuated simultaneously. v The signal control relay 1, is provided with three armatures which are designated the control relay and back to said current supply, therebykeeping the control magnet energized. This normal circuit is as follows: from current supply by wires 16--1718 and 19 to armature 13; then by wire 20, to and through shoe switch '12; then by wire 21, to and through shoe switch 10, and by wires 22 and 23 to and through control relay 1, and return by Wires 24, 25, 26 and 27 to negative side of current supply.

It will thusbe seen that this normal circuit includes both shoe switches 12 and 10, when the latter are closed, but will be interrupted when either shoe passes onto a ramp rail and opens either of said switches 12 or 10. The interruption, however of this normal circuit by the opening of the switches, does not necessarily mean a deenergization of control relay 1, because, when either shoe 6 or 7, passes onto and over an energized ramp rail, current will be picked up from" such energized ramp and be conveyed from such shoe by wires 28 and 29, it depending upon which shoe is operated, to wire 30, and from the latter wire to wire23, to control relay '1, and return by wires 24, 25, 26 and 31 to the axle 32; wheel 33 and track rail 34, back to its source, which is external to the vehicle as will presently be explained. It will thus be seen that as long as the indicator relay 1, is energized either by the normal vehicle current or by current picked up from a ramp, rmatu e 5, will be he d up nto engagen with eent et point 35,, o t t curren from the vehicle current-supply 8, may pass by wires 16, 17,18, 36 to and through arma- 3, no matter whether control relay,"1, is being energized by the ehicle current supply, or by current picked up from an energized ramp.

Valve magnet 2, controls two ,armatures 11 and 12, in addition to its usual function of venting the air brake train-line to apply the brakes, or to effect such other operation as will result in stopping the'vehicle. This m gnet i als n ma y'ee d y a ti k eire e t h h h lud the rme re .sh e t he an m gn t and ehicle e r h supp y ,t e ei i b g as f ll w r m rren upply y w e 8; armatu ll; Wire 4A, to nd hrough shee sw teh ll; the y W 45, be nd threng she sw tch 9; w es .47 and 1:8 o a d t rough ma et nd turn y W es 9, 2 and, 2. to vehi e u-rreh supply 8 The circuit just described is the n rma eir hit fo maintai ng i l e magnet, a d is ma nta n d as e s heeswitches 11 and 9, are both closed, and contr l mag e is e rgi by a ent from the vehicle cnrrent-supply 8. There are times however when -onefor the other of the shoe-switches 11 ,or 9, is opened by the shoe v7, or 6, id ng up e e e emp l, a at such times the normal circuit through the al e agne 2, w l e n errupte h we e e remp-m wth t is engage y o e e the eeh e' h e is e e giz d, th pening f th sw t f het tee sho will net efie def ergiz ieh of va ve magne 2,, he eu htr magn t w l b kept venergized by .the current picked up them he e ergized r mp, d a lens es a d e h e m a e i n rg d, a other e reuit that i h d p nd t ef h w ehe 11 0 3 i l b mai ain thre armatu e 4' and th valve v I -wa l em ehie e e r ht pply e k ep t va e s t nerg zed, e t l -0W i rem vehicle current-supply 8, by wires a les the een r y; th n y ire Heed -48, e a d t r ug l e magn and et rn by Wires 4:9, 21 and 27' t e -ren sum 1y- Thus i wi l b l s n ha as less as some! magn t l, as:

a contact point 54, with which latter an armature 55, of a trackway relay 56, engages," and a wire 57, connects the heel of said armature with one side of track-way currentrsupply 58. The'other side of this current supply 58, is connected by a wire 59, with the track-rail -34, so that current pit-lied up from a ramp will be conveyed by wires 28 pr 29, to wire 30, and: 23 to control niagnet 1, and be returned by wiresg2'l, 25.126 and 31 to the axle, wheel and track rail and then by wire 59 to track-way current supply 58, which supplies the ramp rail wit-heurrent. Y

When a denergized ramp rail is engaged by either shoe, andthe, switches of that shoe are opened, both the control re'lay'l and the valve magnet 12, will be simultaneously denergized; the application "of the brakes, or other control mechanism, will result through the operations of the deenergjzed valve'magnet 2, and simultaneously,therewith a danger signal at5, will be displayed. This danger signal is operated by current from the vehicle current supply 8, by a circuit which is established through armature 15, of control relay 1, in the down position,

and through armature 12, of the valve magnet 2, which will also be'in'the'downposition, as follows:

From eerr ubply by Wireslb, 18, 36, 37 to armatnre 15, then through said armature, which will be down to wire 61), and a ma ure 4% 0f el e m gne Whieh latter armature will also'be down; then through said armature 42, to wirebl and danger or r ign l and re urn y Wires 2., 0., 2 26, an 27, b he. sa d yeh e rr nt s ip-Ply Th iti wi l be en hat when relay'l and valve magnet 2, areboth hergized, the danger sig a ill be d play d at and th 'sfienmeeh hism ee relled by magn t 2, i be ac ua e he rihg'th ye i le th a tene Afte a ut mati he-P ha be efieeted beeense e e d eheh zh on of b th o t e elay 1 and step va e magne 2, he eh e e ee het P eeii unt at l ast the step valve magnet has aga n been rehergizediehel then only'under a caution signal;

7. 10 enablef hi t be de s l. p e d e w t h .de i e h h r eier t lessee en the ve ele, t a n ee that is haeees b e m the cab, se he eng ee must get e th e iel t a h ithrs insnr' hg t comp te stopp n of the eh el er t a n .11 the dieg eh matie il ustr tions n th .drey g thi il ese .sir teh is e ig at d 6:3,,

lOQ V and has one side connected by a wire 64, with wire 17, while its other side is connected to wire 48, so that the circuit of the valve magnet 2, from the vehicle current supply is as follows:

From vehicle current-supply 8, by wires 16, 17 and 64, to and across reset switch 63; then by wire 48, to and through valve magnet 2; then return by wires 49, 26 and 27 back to current supply 8, thus energizing magnet 2, and lifting 'armatures 41 and 42. Armature 42, when lifted, will engage a contact ona wire 65, which latter leads to the caution signal or yellow lamp 4, while a wire 60, from said armature leads to a contact which is engaged by armature 15, oi. the control relay 1, because this relay, under the conditions now described will be deenen gized. It will thus be seen that when control relay 1, is denergized and valve magnet 2, is energized by an operation of the reset switch through a stick circuit, the caution signal 4, will be operated by a circuit from vehicle current supply 8, by wires 16, 17, 18, 36, and 37, through armature 15, on the down position; then through wire 60 to and through armature 42, which will be up; then by wire 65, to caution or yellow lamp 4, and by wires 66, 67, 40 25, 26, and 27 back to the vehicle current supply 8. Under these conditions the vehicle can proceed with the caution signal until an energizcd ramp rail is reached, whereupon the current picked up from such energized ramp will again energize control relay 1; cutoff the caution signal and reestablish the clear or green signal 3, and the vehicle can then proceed under clear conditions.

From the foregoing explanations it is to be understood that my invention contemplates employing but one ramp rail to a block, and

to utilize two contact shoes; a control relay a valve relay; a current supply on the vehicle and clear, caution and danger signals also on the vehicle, with circuits and connections, so that the operation of either shoe by a deenergized ramp rail will simultaneously deenergize both the control and valve relays,

thereby producing a stop and giving a danger signal; to also provide for manually effecting an energization of the valve relay to permit the vehicle to proceed under a caution signal and to further provide for auto matically changing from a caution to a clear signal through the energization of the control relay if the next ramp engaged by a contact shoe is energized. Q

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is,-- V

1. In a combined control and signal mechanism for vehicles the combination with a vehicle having a current supply, of two contact shoes on the vehicle; 'shoe switches operated by each shoe; a control relay on the vehicle; avalve relay also on the vehicle; a stick circuit including one switch of both shoes for normally maintaining the control relay; a stick circuit including another switch of both shoes for normally maintaining the valve relay and means whereby when either shoe engages a deenergizcd ramp .both relays will be simultaneously deie'nergized. V

2. In a combined control and signal mech anism for vehicles the combination with a vehicle having a current supply, oftwo contact shoes on the vehicle; a plurality of shoe switches operated by each shoe; a sig nal control relay on the vehicle; a stop valve relay also on the vehicle; stick circuits for normally maintaining said relays, connections between the contact shoes and the control relay to maintain the latter by current 7 picked up from a ramp rail, and connections between the vehicle current supply, an armature of the control relay and the valve relay for maintaining the valve relay by the vehicle current while the control relay is energized.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

LoUIs C. KLERLEIN, CHAS. B. MANN. 

